Jenna Ortega Finally Confirms She Left Scream 7 Because of Melissa Barrera’s Firing

Summary:

• Jenna Ortega clarifies exit from Scream 7 due to co-star’s firing, not scheduling conflict. Demonstrators protest film’s premiere.

• Spyglass fires Melissa Barrera for pro-Palestinian content, leading to Ortega’s departure and director changes. Controversy surrounds film’s release.

• Barrera opens up about the toll of the situation, while Ortega moves on to new projects. Scream 7 opens with mixed reviews.

For over a year, Jenna Ortega’s exit from Scream 7 was chalked up to a scheduling conflict with Wednesday. Now, Ortega is officially putting that story to rest.

In a cover interview with The Cut published in April 2025, Ortega confirmed that her departure from the franchise had everything to do with the firing of her co-star Melissa Barrera and nothing to do with her Netflix calendar.

“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega told the outlet. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”

In November 2023, production company Spyglass Media Group fired Barrera from Scream 7 after she posted pro-Palestinian content on Instagram in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Spyglass called the posts antisemitic, stating it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form,” and accused Barrera of crossing the line into “hate speech.” Barrera and many others disputed that characterization.

Ortega’s exit was announced just one day after Barrera’s firing, setting off a chain reaction. Original director Christopher Landon also departed the project shortly after, with Scream franchise creator Kevin Williamson ultimately stepping in to direct from a script by Guy Busick.

At the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Feb. 25, 2026, demonstrators organized by Entertainment Labor for Palestine, CODEPINK LA, Musicians for Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace-Los Angeles gathered outside Paramount Pictures Studios. They held signs reading “Stand For Free Speech, Boycott Scream 7” and chanted “Free Palestine.”

The protest reignited conversations about Barrera’s firing and the cost of speaking out in Hollywood.

Barrera herself has spoken openly about the toll the situation took on her. “It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything,” she told The Independent in a 2024 interview. She described feeling like her career and sense of self were both on the line.

Ortega has since moved on to other projects, including A24’s Death of a Unicorn and the return of Wednesday for Season 2.

Scream 7 officially opens in theaters today, Feb. 27, 2026, with original franchise star Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott and Courteney Cox returning as Gale Weathers. The film currently holds a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest score in franchise history.

Remaining Scream 5 and 6 cast members Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown do appear in the film. Gooding described the loss of Barrera and Ortega as “a version of grief.”

Director Williamson acknowledged the moment at the premiere, telling TheWrap, “That was a great loss.”

For many fans and industry observers, the damage was done long before the first screening.

Scream 7 is now in theaters.